a) In Visconty decks we dont have Devil. Neither in Fiorentine deck, Ercole or the fragmentary early decks. The first appareance, as you know, its in Sermo perutilis de ludo cum aliis, maybe write arround 1475. Thats mind, its a "new" card. This is not very important for my crackpot hypothesis, but it is curious...

b) As you know, the first appareance of word "tarot" in a document its in Avignon and Ferrara in 1505.

c) We think, for this match and cary sheet, there is extensive exchange of cards from France to Italy.

d) Ross has written a very interesting hypothesis about the origin of the word tarot:

In my post, I did rather confuse your recent find of an early reference to 'Taraux' in the Avignon region, with the large number of card printers later known to have been around in, I seem to recall, especially the Lyon district - two regions which are not only quite distinct, but far further afield from each other than they appear from my current location

A dictionary tells me the name is proabably celtic in origin (like most of these old little French towns). It might relate to a mythical founder called "Taravus", or to the root "Tar-", which is the same as "Tor" and "Taur", which means "strength" and of course "bull." There are several towns in France with names like this - the most
striking is "Tharot", south of Paris.

But this one does not concern me.

Look at the first map again. Note the next town to the north, St.Jean de Marejols. This town is about 2km from Tharaux. Both towns are in the diocese of Uzés, about 60km from Avignon, where a large card production was going in the 15th to the early 16th century (around 30 master cardmakers from 1441-1518, more if you count apprentices). It is in Avignon, in 1507, that the earliest use of the term "taraux" cards is found.

(note: I have since learned that there is an earlier reference in Avignon in 1505 - still perfectly within our time-frame).

Most of the cardmakers in Avignon have their original towns noted. Several are from the Diocese of Uzés, and all are active at the same time around 1507. The biggest cardmaker in town at that time was Jean Fort, or "le Fort" - "the Strong." (Sforza means "the strong" also - like, perhaps, "Taraux"). One cardmaker married a woman from St. Jean de Marejols. He is not heard from again after 1502, but wives are noted as taking over cardmaking when their husbands die. So we have, in 1507, the quite likely possibility that someone who knows a town called "Taraux" is making "taraux" cards.

Could they be a pun on the name "le Fort" - "Sforza" - "the Strong" - Hence "Strong cards" (since the trumps are stronger than the rest) - Taraux?

(naturally, I'll be looking into this theory when I have a chance to travel to Tharaux and Avignon - maybe there is a tradition there).

In pags 13, him, a poet, who know well the words, said dont know the etimology of tarot:

And that fantastic and bizarre name
of Tarot, having no etymology,

The response of Vincenzo Imperiali is rather fantastic (it seems that its inventing it.)

I think it was a good idea to give to the game
such a name, which is currently obscure,
because it has been corrupted by the length of time.
The antique name was “Teroco”,
from “teriocor”, that in the Latin language
simply means “I play three times”.
Because we see that the player is ready
to make three kind of games at the same time,
as he shows in his doctrine

If the italian poets dont know the origin of the word "tarocco", may be mean which is a rare French word, as a corruption of the word Tarasque.

When a man has a theory // Can’t keep his mind on nothing else (By Ross)

Marcos 1: Well, proceed. The first appearance of this word is in Avignon, a cardmarker who is selling his cards to Italy. And he said its a common name (taraux). It also appears in a document of Ferrara that year (...pare oto de tarochi).

Therefore, we think that the word first appeared in France and from there went to Italy, especially if we consider that from c. 1475 Avignon and Lyon have become big centers of production of cards and that Milan was conquered by French in 1500. Right?

Marcos 2: Well, it's a hypothesis. You would need to check with documents if, indeed, there is that trade in cards from France to Italy.

Marcos 1: Yes, that's true, but let us assume for a moment that is true. Follow. Since ancient times, the Tarasque, pronounced tarask, is a popular monster in the folklore of Provence. In fact, the city of Tarascon has a tarasque in his shield, and the king René creates "L'Ordre des Chevaliers de la Tarasque" in 1474, and existing a triumphal parades with the tarasque as protagonist. Right?

Marcos 2: Yes, until then I agree. These are facts, not opinions.

Marcos 1: At least since 1475 approx. (Sermon of Ludo), the Devil exists between the triumphs of the tarot. Therefore, the cardmarkers of Provence and the nearby city of Lyon have two dragon-monster in the cards: the Devil and the Biscio, the serpent of the Sforza family that eats men. And they are making cards for the Sforza.

Marcos 2: So?

Marcos 1: Well, that, perhaps, the Provence cardmarkers called such cardas, "cards of Tarasque", where the word would taraux.

Marcos 2: Opinions, conjectures, hypotheses ... You need documents. For example, you need to find a logo of cardmarkers of Provenza which appears Tarasque or something similar.

Marcos 1: Yes, I know, but its only a working hypothesis ... Now we have to investigate further.

Marcos 2: Well, I come inside of us. It's been a pleasure talking with you.

When a man has a theory // Can’t keep his mind on nothing else (By Ross)